Feeding mechanism for automatic guns



April, 4, 1950 R. s. SANFORD 2,502,891

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC cuus' Filed April 25, 1946 2 She ets-Sheet 1 April 4, 1950 I R. s. SANFORD 2,502,391

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed April 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jade/dbl Patented Apr. 4, 1950 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Roy S. Sanford, Woodbury, Conn, assignor 'to The Autoyre Company, Incorporated, OaLkville, Co'nn., a corporationof Connecticut Application April '25, 1946,.SerialNo. 664,858

2 Claims.

1 This invention .relates to mechanism for feeding cartridges to an automatic gun, and more particularly to a :feed mechanism comprising a part of an automatic gun wherein the roundsare carried in individual gripping links for transit from a magazine to the gun, and from which links the rounds are strippedfor delivery to the chamber.

A principal object of the invention is to provide animproved feeding mechanism for an automatic gun in which the energy for moving'a belt of links, each carrying an individual round, is stored in a spring and the energy is utilized in feeding the belt under control of the round being chambered.

Anotherobjectis to provide a cartridge feeding mechanism including energy-storing means adapted .to-eliminate the necessity of recharging the feeding mechanism in the event of a misfire Or dud.

rality of rounds .from a magazine to the gun. .En-

ergy for driving the disc is derived from a, spiral spring, the inner end of thespring being attached to the disc, and the outer end thereof being attached to a winding drum. The drum is wound through the medium of unidirectional clutch Although-fingers '33 in the drawing are shown means, which .in turn ,is-driven by mechanism actuated by the firing of a round. .Reverserotation of the spring-windin drum is prevented by a brake.

Fora more complete understanding of the invention, referenceshotildnow be had to the draw- .ing, inwhich:

Fig. v1 is a plan view -of a feeding mechanism embodying'the invention; and

Fig. .2 is .a view partly in rear elevation and partly in section of the mechanism shown in Fig. .1. Referring now to the drawing, the receiver Ill of the gun (Fig. '2) :is shown :only partially,

and encloses and supports a bolt ll anda re- 'ceiver slide l2, the latter carrying a'housing I3.

.2 Associated with the housin I3 is a floor l4 upon which the plurality of rounds 1511,1522, etc., may slide prior to the stripping of each round from its gripping link Ilia, l6b, etc. Such links may take-any of several forms, all well known in the art, and include a pair or .pairs of fingers I1, or theirequivalent, adapted to embrace and grip the case of the round to carry the same securely and .in a predetermined orientation from the magazine (not shown) to the gun. Each link l6 also includes a bridge 2| for engagement by the arcu atelyefaced stripping cam .22 afiixed to the slide l2. The rounds and links are constrained to follow a predetermined path through the housing l3 by the .fioor l4 and other suitable guides (not shown). Receiver slide 12 also has associated therewith the mouth28 wherein a round may rest and is positioned for engagement by the bolt H forchambering of the round.

Mounted. .on a .fixed support 25 forming part of the housing 1.3 is the feeding device now to be detailed. For permitting rotation of certain parts relatively to the support 25, the latter carries a post 26 afirlxed in an aperture 2.7 in the support 25 and locked'therein by a setscrew or the like (not shown) Adapted to rotate about the post 26 is a disc 28 having a .hub 29, the aperture 32 of which fits over the post 26. Integral with the disc 28 and projecting from the lower face thereof is a. plurality of .Ieeding fingers 33 each having an active face v34 adapted to engage the bridge 2| just above the opening thereunder occupied by the nose of the cam 22 during the stripping .phase.

spaced so asto provide eight thereof, this number will be understood to be exemplificative only,

:since more or less maybe used depending upon net extremity by pins 4| to the hub 29, and at .its outer extremity by pins 42 to the drum 38.

OverIyin :the spring 39 and drum 38 is the ward position.

cap 44 having a central aperture 45 whereby the cap may rotate upon the post 26, the hub 29 and cap 44 being confined axially with respect to the post by the head 46 thereof. The cap 44 includes 2. depending rim 4! substantially coextensive vertically with the outer periphery 48 of the drum 38, and the rim is further provided on its inner surface with a plurality of spaced inclined surfaces 5| (Fig. 1) bordered by projections 52 and 53 to form pockets for the reception of the rollers 55, the latter being shown as four in number and of graduated diameters.

Drum 38 is also provided with an outwardly extending flange 56 with which a brake shoe 5! is adapted to engage. The shoe 51 is pivotally carried on an arm 58, in turn swingable on a pivot 59.

Eccentrically located in the upper surface of the cap 44 is a shoulder screw 62 upon which a connecting rod 63 is pivoted. Rod 63 has reciprocating movement imparted thereto by suitable parts of the gun operated upon firing of a round.

,the clutch just identified, drum 38 may rotate "counterclockwise for feeding the belt without disturbing the cap 44, the rod 63 connected thereto, or the other parts serving to actuate the rod.

In order to prevent reverse rotation of the I drum 38 under urging of the spring 39, but still While the mode of actuating rod 63 is not in-- i tended to be a part of my invention, it may be pointed out that such actuation may be by recoil, by pneumatic or hydraulic means or by mechanical means of any kind, any of which is capable of causing movement of the rod 63 in one direction, in this case counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 1, and return movement to normal as shown.

Preliminarily the spring 39 is initially wound.

This may be accomplished by reciprocating the rod 63 several times, which in turn rotates the cap 44 through an angle corresponding to the stroke of the rod. The length of stroke for preliminary winding or during normal operation, as will be described, is not of primary importance, provided it is sufiicient to rotate the cap 44 through an angle at least corresponding to the angular spacing of the fingers 33. After a predetermined degree of tension is imparted to the sprin 39, that is, sufficient in intensity to feed the belt of rounds, the device has been prepared for automatic, 1. e., normal, operation.

In one type of automatic gun in which the instant invention may be embodied, the rounds I511, etc., are fed with their individual gripping links l6a, etc., to the stripping cam 22, the nose whereof enters intermediate the bridge 2i and case of the round to dislodge the round and deposit the same above the mouth 20. In Fig. 2 a round [5a is shown in the bottom of the mouth ready to be engaged by the bolt ll there shown in rear- Upon forward actuation of the bolt, round l5a is moved forwardly and out of the mouth 20 for chambering. Meanwhile the succeeding round I5b, held intermediate round l5a, and the fingers H of empty link l6b may move downwardly to occupy the position just vacated by round I5a. As round 15b moves downwardly, the belt of rounds is moved the distance of one pitch to strip round l 50, and such feeding move- .ment will now be described.

As long as a round, e. g., l5b, is held between fingers I1 and a preceding round, e. g., I5a, the belt of links is restrained from movement. Consequently, a finger 33 in engagement with a link, in this case I60, is immobilized, and disc 28 likewise.

However, when round 15b is released by movement of round l5a to chambering position, the belt is freed and energy stored in spring 39 is available to rotate the disc 28 and, through the finger S3 in engagement with link N50, to feed the belt the distance of one pitch. Linear movement of the belt is arrested upon engagement of to permit counterclockwise rotation for winding of the spring 39, the brake shoe 5'! is operative against the flange 56. Resistance offered by the brake shoe is transmitted to the pivot 59 while the shoe 5'land arm 58 may yield when winding occurs.

Assuming that the gun is operating normally,

- that is to say, every round is being fired, the

spring 39 is efiective to feed the rounds in the manner described. Energy is stored in the spring upon the firing of each round so that a state of uniform tension is maintained therein. However, if a dud is chambered, or misfiring of a round occurs, rod 63 will not be operated. In such event there is suflicient energy stored in the spring 39 to feed a succeeding round. Preferably the spring 39 is so constructed as to feed several rounds without rewinding in order to accommo date a succession of misfires or duds.

It will be understood, moreover, that during manual or power-charging of the gun, the spring 39 is effective to feed the rounds as already detailed.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cartridge feeding device for an automatic gun utilizing cartridges fed thereto gripped in individual links forming a belt, comprising in combination a disc member mounted for rotation on the gun, a plurality of belt feeding fingers mounted on one face of saiddisc member, each finger being adapted successively to engage a portion of each link of the belt, a link stripping cam for coaction with said belt feeding fingers for disengaging each cartridge from said link, spring means connected to said disc member for imparting rotation thereto, means for storing .energy in said spring means, and means operated by the firing of a cartridge from said gun for actuating said energy-storing means.

2. A cartridge feeding device for an automatic each link of the belt, a link stripping cam for coaction with said belt feeding fingers for disengaging each cartridge from said link, a drum member mounted for rotation on said gun coaxially with said disc member adjacent the other face thereof, a coiled spring secured between said drum member and said disc member for imparting rotation to said disc member in one direction, clutch means for permitting rotation of said drum member in said one direction to wind said coiled spring but operating to prevent substantial rotation of said drum member in the opposite direction, and a winding mechanism operated by.

the firing of a cartridge for rotating said drum member in said one direction.

ROY S. SANFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 2,357,127 North Aug. 29, 1944 2,415,413 Burgess Feb. 11, 1947 

